The present disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to a mechanical clutch that limits reverse rotation of a fan and a fan drive shaft of the gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines typically include a fan, a turbine section, a compressor section, and a combustor section. Gas turbine engines may employ a geared architecture connecting the fan and the turbine section and a lubrication system for providing lubricating fluid to the geared architecture during engine operation. The geared architecture includes bearings that require lubrication during the rotation of the fan to reduce wear on the bearings and prevent the bearings from seizing.
One challenge with gas turbine engines is called “windmilling.” Windmilling occurs when the engine is shut down, but air is driven across the fan rotor. For example, windmilling can occur in a gas turbine engine mounted to an aircraft if the gas turbine engine shuts down during flight. In other examples, wind moving though a gas turbine engine parked on the ground causes windmilling. Windmilling is a challenge because windmilling can cause rotation of components in the geared architecture after the lubrication system has shut down. Rotation of the components in the geared architecture without a flow of lubricating oil can cause the bearings in the geared architecture to seize. Prior art gas turbine engines have addressed the challenge of windmilling by incorporating complex systems that lubricate the bearings when windmilling.